Thursday, June 26, 2014

Research Q of the Week: Resources for a Rainy Day (6/24)

Question:Rain, rain go away, come again another day. What
kind of resources does the League have to help us deal with the aftermath of all this rain?

Answer: Minnesota cities have been dealing with a number of
rain-related headaches, including closed roads, evacuation of people, and
higher-than-ever water levels. On June 19, Governor Dayton even declared a State of Emergency in 35 counties.

A city government can also declare a local emergency when it's time to take flood response to the next level. To do so, the mayor needs to issue a proclamation declaring an emergency.
The emergency declaration cannot last longer than three days, unless continued
by the city council. The declaration of an emergency will set in motion the
city’s disaster plan.

Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) may also become available if requested by the governor and/or HSEM.

Lending a helping hand

Cities fortunate enough to not be directly affected by
flooding need to be careful about how they work with cities that are/have
experienced flooding. While it's very Minnesotan to lend a helping hand, cities should not self-deploy to other communities, but
should instead coordinate their efforts through their county Emergency Operations Center
or via a direct request from the State
Emergency Operations Center.

High water resources

The League has a number of resources related to floods and other emergencies on its website, including:

About Me

The League of Minnesota Cities is a membership organization dedicated to helping cities throughout Minnesota build quality communities through effective advocacy, expert analysis, trusted guidance, and collective action. The League serves its more than 830 members through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management, and other services. For more information, visit www.lmc.org.